Monday, March 29, 2010

Confessions of a Sixties Idealist

In this essay, Susan Szenasy talks about sustainability, which was disputed briefly by a student at Parsons. She brings up names of designers who made a big impact in the design world, emphasizing the importance of sustainability. The subject of the World Trade Centers was an unexpected turn in the essay, however made clear sense. This made me jump back to the early decade of 2000, when this was written, and imagine the impact of this incident as a NYC dweller and designer. Nothing mattered but our own values; we become more aware of ourselves and our surroundings. I believe this is where we designers must stand at all times- in this circle of networks that are altogether aware of what is truly important and at the same time trying to create a better world.
Two terms Susan was quite keen about in her essay were "interconnectedness and relationships." This goes back to the previous paragraph, where I mentioned circle of networks. Without this, designers would be stuck doing the same old thing; adding and improving the material/plastic (AKA fake) world. Susan is leading her readers and fellow designers to step out of this bubble and take [responsible] action for improving the real world.

Blatant American Apparel

This essay by Anna Kealey touched on American Apparel's not-quite-ethical standard that is the sexual imagery placed on their ads. It's not really an issue of "what" so much as "how" they put themselves out there. Despite their slogans that portray their good ethics in production, they are a bit too forward with what is "sexy", perhaps taking it a bit too far. I also noticed while shopping in their online store that they do not shy away from rendering their models in promiscuous positions. It was a bit shocking to see so much of the body under sheer fabric or even the contours of the bare bottom in selling some product.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Byker Wall

As I watched the short clip of documentary on Byker Wall, I noticed a clear difference in space and atmosphere from that of Pruit Igoe. The fact that it is so architecturally accessible to the community may have contributed to its own success. More open spaces allow people to enjoy the essence that is Byker Wall, and really get to appreciate that with others. Although the building's structure is so hard, there is indication of life and peace within its surrounding space; recreational parks, airy stairways, and